Border violation: Iranian guards fire 6 mortar shells into Pakistani territory

Shells explode in open areas in Mashkail town; no loss of life reported

QUETTA:

Iran’s border guards fired at least six mortar shells on Pakistani territory in the early hours of Friday, officials said. No loss of life was reported in the artillery strikes.

“Six mortar shells, fired by Iranian border guards, struck open areas in Mashkail around 4am,” the town’s assistant commissioner, Asghar Syapad, told The Express Tribune. “The strikes caused no loss of life or property,” he said.



However, the back-to-back explosions woke up the residents of Mashkail – a remote town in Balochistan’s Washuk district which borders Iran’s Jalq district – and prompted security forces and levies personnel to reach the spot where the mortars hit.

Sources said security forces fired two mortars at the border areas inside Iran in retaliation. But no reports of shelling by Pakistani forces came from Iran.

This was the fourth time in a week that Iranian forces have violated Pakistan’s border. A Pakistani soldier was killed by Iranian forces in Balochistan’s Mand area earlier this week. This was followed by a raid by more than 30 Iranian troops in Chagai district’s Naukundi area.  On Monday, Iran fired three mortar shells at Mashkail.

“Iran has increased its border violations,” an official in Mashkail said, “It has become routine in recent months.”

The latest attack came two days after a meeting between Inspector General Frontier Corps (IGFC) Major General Ejaz Shahid and Iranian Border Police Chief General Qasim Razai in Tehran. The FC spokesperson said the two sides agreed to improve intelligence-sharing and coordination to maintain peace in the region.

Iran often blames Pakistan for not maintaining law and order in its bordering areas.

The Balochistan Home Department has informed the interior ministry regarding the frequent border violations.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 25^th, 2014.